Stranger Than Fiction
by Darthanne
Summary: Jack O'Neill on kids,history, and the immortal known as Methos. Crossover : Stargate SG1/New Series Tomorrow People/Highlander


Stranger Than Fiction

Disclaimer

The characters of Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, Major Samantha Carter, Teal'c, General Hammond, and Apophis do not belong to me. Neither does the concept of the Stargate, SGC and the Goa'uld and anything else related to the series Stargate SG1. They belong to Stargate(II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Products.

The characters of Adam Newman, Megabyte Damon, General William Damon, Ami Jackson and Jade Weston do not belong to me either. They are the property of Roger Damon Price, Thames/Tetra and ITV Television.

Likewise the character of Methos (a.k.a Adam Pierson) belongs to Panzer/Davis, Rysher/Gaumont Television. So do the concepts of immortality and the Game.

Author's Notes

This is the second story in the 'Tears in Heaven' fanfiction universe. The first story in that universe was 'The Medusa Stone', which was set in November 1999.

I would like to thank Michele and Kristin, who have now come on board as writers for this universe for their input and for beta-reading this story.

Feedback to [anneo@paradise.net.nz][1]

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Stranger Than Fiction

By Anne Olsen

January 2000

Colonel Jack O'Neill glanced around the cafeteria looking for the remaining members of SG1. He didn't have to look far and he wasn't surprised by what he saw. Daniel was talking to Carter, only pausing to catch his breath and to push his glasses back up his nose. Correction, Carter had taken the thread of whatever he'd just said and was obviously launching into one of her famous 'explanations.'

Jack turned to Teal'c and grinned. "Told you they'd be talking shop didn't I?"

As always it was impossible to tell what the impassive Jaffa was truly thinking. The big dark man following behind him arched one eyebrow slightly before replying. "Indeed Colonel O'Neill," he commented. "I believe you were correct in your assumptions."

Jack remembered the fun conversation they had had on the way over, with him explaining exactly what 'talking shop' meant. One of these days they would have to give Teal'c an intensive course on commonly used slang references. Maybe that might be a fun job for Daniel. He grinned again as he answered Teal'c's comment. "Come on Teal'c, it's time we added in our two cents worth."

"Two cents worth?" queried Teal'c. " I do not believe I have any of your Tau'ri currency on my person at present."

"It means we have some input into their conversation. We add our bit of brilliance, our own comments." Jack led Teal'c around the other couple of dozen or so tables in the room and before seating himself down opposite Carter and Daniel. Maybe Daniel had better have that discussion with Teal'c sooner rather than later. It sort of took some of the fun out of using some phrases when you had to stop and explain yourself every five minutes. Still Teal'c was better than he used to be. Can't expect miracles overnight. 

Major Samantha Carter and Dr Daniel Jackson looked up as they noticed the new arrivals. The small part of the conversation he overheard as he approached made Jack decide that changing the subject would definitely be a good thing at this point. He caught the word wormhole as he approached and he'd already heard enough from Carter about the fun science behind that to last him a lifetime. Daniel of course would never learn what subjects not to get Carter onto. Still Daniel was just as bad, no actually he was probably worse, much worse, once he started on about his own pet subjects. 

Jack cleared his throat. Here goes nothing. "Having fun kids? I had to drag Teal'c here away from the Discovery Channel."

"Discovery Channel?" asked Daniel. Jack realised a bit too late that that might not have been the right thing to say. His hope that Teal'c wasn't going to tell Daniel what exactly he had been watching was quickly dashed.

"I believe the programme was called the Mysteries of Ancient Egypt, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c informed them.

Jack groaned as Daniel went into 'archaeologist mode.' Correction. Was Daniel ever out of that mode anyway? 

"Mysteries of Ancient Egypt. That sounds interesting. So what did you learn Teal'c? That you didn't already know that is?"

Teal'c frowned. "Well that was the strange thing about the programme Daniel Jackson. Most of the information given was not entirely accurate."

"That's because the truth is classified," Sam Carter reminded him.

"And here I thought it was 'out there.'" Jack decided to ignore the pained looks that comment got him and listened to Daniel's response. He knew there would be one coming. After all this was Daniel on one of his favourite subjects. He took a sip of his coffee, knowing that the cup would hide the smirk he knew was spreading across his face.

"Tell me about it," groused Daniel. "I finally find proof that that my theories about aliens and the pyramids are correct and I can't share it with anyone."

"The programme also mentioned the boy King Tutankhamun. I presume that the fact he was a Tomorrow Person is considered classified also."

"Speaking of Tomorrow People, I wonder what Adam and Megabyte are up to these days," asked Daniel, thinking out loud.

"I feel sorry for Bill Damon," observed Jack. He noticed the puzzled expressions on the rest of SG1. "Well think about it. It's hard enough keeping an eye on your kids as it is. Imagine trying to keep tabs on one who can disappear into thin air just by thinking about it. You'd never know where the hell he was."

Jack grew silent for a moment, as thoughts of his own son Charlie came unbidden into his mind. He couldn't help but relate to how Bill must feel every time his son got into trouble. Seeing the man's reaction when Ramiis had kidnapped Megabyte had reminded Jack of how he himself had felt when Charlie had died. Even though he knew in his mind that he hadn't been responsible for his son's death, every so often the guilt and sadness still came back to haunt him.

"You can't watch your kids twenty four hours a day." Sam Carter was watching him as she made that comment, blue eyes staring intently into his own. Was she referring to Bill or to himself? Jack wasn't sure.

" I remember my own son Rya'c as he was growing up," interjected Teal'c. Parents, or at least fathers were the same the galaxy over, human or Jaffa, judging by the tone in Teal'c's voice. He must miss his own son quite a bit, even though he seldom spoke of him or of his wife.

"Yeah but Adam and Megabyte aren't normal kids." Daniel hadn't taken long to bring that side of things up. For some reason Jack didn't feel surprised. Actually come to think of it, he'd brought that can of worms up himself, so he supposed he only had himself to blame for the way the conversation was heading. "A lot of responsibilities come with having those powers."

"Oh yeah," said Jack. "That whole future of mankind thing. I still stay they're just kids though, powers or no powers."

"I wonder how the Tomorrow People came into being?" mused Carter.

"Probably the same way you and I did Carter." Jack grinned. "Don't tell me I have to give you the birds and bees speech? I thought Jacob would have explained that one to you already."

Teal'c looked puzzled. "Birds and Bees?"

"Don't ask," interjected Daniel hurriedly. Smart move Danny boy. Jack opened his mouth to change the subject or at least move it along when Carter saved him the trouble.

"What I mean Colonel, is that something must have happened for Mother Nature to have decided to start advancing the evolutionary scale again. I mean obviously Adam and Megabyte are not the only Tomorrow People out there. For the new species to survive there must be more than two of them."

"And there's got to be girls," muttered Jack under his breath. "Otherwise where's the fun in that?"

"Excuse me O'Neill. I did not quite hear your last comment."

"That's okay Teal'c," explained Jack. "You weren't meant to."

"Adam mentioned two other names, Sam," Daniel reminded her. "Ami and Jade, remember?" He paused for a moment before continuing as an idea began to form. Jack could always tell when Daniel was getting one of his theories. He glanced at his watch idly, wondering how long this one was going to be.

"I wonder if the Tomorrow People exist because of man's tendency towards violence and killing. I mean it makes sense if you think about it. Homo Sapiens on the whole are a violent species. The rate we are going we will have probably wiped ourselves off the planet with the war to end all wars, or the weapon to beat all other weapons long before the Goa'uld even get around to attacking. If I were Mother Nature, I'd be worried."

"So in other words the Tomorrow People are supposed to be a step forward in evolution not only because of their powers but because they are pacifists." Carter agreed with Daniel's theory, or at least his reasoning for it by the sound of what she had just said.

Daniel nodded. "Think about it. On a planet of Tomorrow People there would be no war, no violence."

Teal'c shook his head. "You are forgetting something Daniel Jackson. If their species cannot kill to protect themselves, as General Damon implied, how would they survive against those who would seek to harm them?"

"Maybe that's what the teleporting is for?" put forward Carter. "It's a defence mechanism, much like certain types of animals can blend in with their surroundings to hide from predators."

Jack shrugged, not feeling convinced. "So in other words when in danger, teleport? Sorry Carter, I'm not buying it. Besides everyone is capable of killing and violence. I don't care how much they say they aren't. Everyone has a point where ideals don't stand true. You just have to be desperate enough."

Jack leant back in his chair and took another swig of coffee as he noticed Daniel open his mouth to reply. Here we go. Danny's got a theory on this one too. He's *always * got a theory. This one had better be good.

"No I don't think they can Jack. I don't think it's ideals, I think it's genetics. When I was trapped in that landscape with Adam and Megabyte and we were trying to defeat Ramiis, Adam had the chance to kill him and he didn't." Daniel stopped and corrected himself. "He *couldn't *. I remember Megabyte sounding very annoyed about it. It was almost like he wished he could, like it was something out of his…out of their control."

"Okay so he didn't kill the guy. That doesn't prove anything." Jack still wasn't convinced.

"Well it proves it to me. I know what I saw Jack. They couldn't even defend themselves because they thought their actions might kill him."

Jack decided to change the subject. When Daniel got like this there was no reasoning with him even when he wasn't right about something. "Speaking of killing to survive," he interjected before Daniel could go any further. "I wonder where that old guy Methos disappeared to after leaving here."

"I believe he preferred to be referred to as Adam Pierson, O'Neill " pointed out Teal'c.

"Yeah whatever. It wouldn't surprise me if he's holed up somewhere trying not to be noticed." Jack shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he's teaching history in some school somewhere. After all he dropped enough names to give the impression he knew a bit about what's been going on in the world over the last few thousand years or so."

"It must be hard reading the written version of history and knowing what really happened." Trust Daniel to come out with a comment like that.

"Yeah whatever," Jack was beginning to feel like a broken record. "He wasn't exactly a fountain of information though was he?" Even though Jack still remembered the 'talk' he'd had with Adam and Megabyte about the immortal he still wasn't entirely sure how much he could trust the guy. After all he ran around with a sword cutting peoples' heads off. To survive, he'd told them. Yeah right. Adam had been convinced that Methos was only concerned for his own safety but Jack couldn't help but wonder if the Australian's view had been well…a bit naive…for want of a better word. After all even though he was a Tomorrow Person he was still only a kid. He didn't have the life experiences that someone like Jack himself had. He hoped like hell the boy never had to go through some of the things he had had to over the last few years. He shook his head. With the powers the Tomorrow People possessed he somehow doubted he would be lucky enough to avoid it. What was there to stop someone from finding out about those powers and using them to their own advantages? Hadn't Megabyte said that someone had already tried? What would happen if someone like Apophis tried to get them to use their powers for his own ends? Jack shuddered inwardly. I hope like hell we never get to find the answer to that one, he thought.

"Imagine all the questions I could ask if we ever met up with him again." Daniel was just about drooling in anticipation. Mind you looking at Carter, she wasn't much better. Jack remembered the way Methos had looked at her when they had first been introduced and wished he hadn't. Hopefully the old guy had disappeared for good. If he never showed his face here again, Jack for one would be a very happy camper. Methos might have thought he was older and wiser and all the crap that went with it but Jack knew better. The guy was a sarcastic smart-ass, nothing more. Okay, a very old sarcastic smart-ass, but still one all the same.

"It's a shame I wasn't myself when he was here. The guy knew Tutankhamun, Rameses…All the history he experienced. Imagine the different perspective he could give to the modern interpretation of what really happened…" Daniel had moved past drooling and into babbling. Not a good sign.

"Oh yeah right Danny boy. I'd be careful how loudly you put those thoughts into words."

Daniel looked blank.

Jack laughed. "Let's put it this way. How long do you think he'd be hanging around if he thought he was going to get the third degree from you every time he opened his mouth?"

"But wouldn't you want to share your life experiences if you'd been through all that? Think of all you could teach humanity. All we could learn." Daniel still didn't get it.

Jack decided to put it another way. "I don't think Methos was interested in sharing his life experiences, as you so tactfully put it, Daniel. I sort of got the impression he was more interested in his future than his past."

Carter grinned, a grin that quickly changed to a small smile as she noticed Jack staring at her. "Something you wish to share with the class Major?"

"No sir. Not really. I was just thinking how interesting it might be if we ever crossed paths with him again. All the things *you * might like to say to him Colonel."

Jack got the impression Carter meant a lot more in those few words than she was letting on. Yeah he could think of a few things he'd like to say to the guy…

Teal'c rose to his feet and Jack glanced at his watch again. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? Looking around the cafeteria he noticed that they were the only ones still there, apart from the kitchen hands themselves. "Looks like we're back in business again kids. That briefing with General Hammond is in ten minutes."

Carter stood up ready to go, her empty coffee cup in her hands. "Come on Daniel," she told her companion.

"Hmm. Yeah. Okay." Daniel still seemed deep in thought.

"Come on Daniel, rise and shine." Jack headed for the door and noticed out of the corner of his eye that the archaeologist was following slowly behind. He might have been behind them in body, but his mind was still miles away.

'Note to self…Time to introduce Teal'c to some different kind of television programs.' Jack grinned. Wonder what the Jaffa would make of a good old-fashioned Western?

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The End 

   [1]: mailto:anneo@paradise.net.nz



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